Team roping pair wins title at National Junior High School Rodeo, Weborg claims second place

Marcus Traxler, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
·2 min read

Jun. 26—PERRY, Ga. — A top team roping team and youth rodeo standout, Taos Weborg led the way for the South Dakota contingent of cowboys and cowgirls at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo over the weekend in Georgia.

Team ropers Casper Hammerstrom, of New Underwood, and Slone Weishaar, of Belle Fourche, finished with an aggregate time of 29.47 seconds, winning the world title in the event and scoring $2,336.67. Hammerstrom and Weishaar were also powered by a second-place run in the short-go in 7.44 seconds.

Weborg, of St. Charles in Gregory County, finished fourth in the all-around cowboy standings, scoring 1,015 points at the rodeo. In the junior high bareback riding jackpot, Weborg won the first go-round with a score 74, and finished tied for first in the short-go with 68 points. On aggregate scoring, Weborg finished second with 205.5 points, just behind Prescott, Arizona's Braylon Johnson, who won with 209 total points. All told in the bareback riding, Weborg earned $1,175 in prize money. He was also ninth overall in saddle bronc riding, making the short-go round.

In boys goat tying, Reven Moss, of Clearfield, finished fifth in the second go-round with a time of 9.79 seconds, and was fifth in the aggregate time at 32.7 seconds.

JJ Sterkel, is from Merriman, Nebraska, but represents Team South Dakota, won the girls goat tying first go with a score of 6.97 seconds, while teammate Charleigh Brewer, of Wessington, finished fifth in 8.83. Sterkel also finished sixth in the second go-round with a time of 8.55 seconds.

Bull rider Wynn Lawrence, of White Horse, finished fifth in the first go-round with a score of 69. In the girls pole bending event, Arina Dee Haugen finished second in the second performance in a time of 19.81 seconds.

South Dakota's boys team finished in fifth place among states at the NJHFR, scoring 2,105 points. Texas won with 3,753.33 points, followed by Oklahoma (2,925), Utah (2,415) and Arizona (2,315). South Dakota finished sixth in girls points with 1,105. Oklahoma was the team girls champion with 2,010 points, followed by Texas (1,905), Utah (1,290), Louisiana (1,260) and Kansas (1,135).

Overall, South Dakota was sixth with 3,120 points. Texas won the overall team title (5,658.33), Oklahoma was second (4,935), followed by Utah (3,705), Louisiana (3,156) and Arizona (3,140).